Change
by LucianLoveNarnia
Summary: Takes place after the Avengers movie no spoilers, I promise . Loki is back in Asgard, being held in a cell designed specifically for his magic so that he cannot escape. What happens when a mortal girl named Chastity starts visiting him? How will she change him?
1. Chapter 1

He was trapped. There was no where he could escape to, no where he could hide. He was treated like a low-life—something in the back of his mind he supposed he deserved well—and he felt completely humiliated. For the first few weeks in his God-forsaken cell, he wouldn't even look up to see who was standing outside the glass cell wall. But then again, there was only one person who would ever bother visiting him.

"Brother," Thor greeted as he approached the cell where Loki was being kept. It looked an awful lot like the one he'd been held in inside the helicarrier, but this one was designed especially for Loki's magic. If the god of mischief ever tried to escape, he would be struck with a violent shock like lightning and thrown back into the cell. Not that he ever tried to escape.

This time, when Thor visited, Loki's eyes actually lifted to glare at his "brother." His blue eyes seemed icier than normal, holding so much hatred that Thor couldn't help but step back in surprise. Had Loki forgotten their childhood together? Had he forgotten the bond they'd had growing up? Could he possibly have forgotten about the trouble they'd caused together and the laughs they'd gotten from it? And what about the tricks played? From Thor's point of view, everything that had transpired between the two of them had been lost on his adopted brother.

"What do you want?" Loki hissed finally, speaking for the first time in weeks. "What's the point in visiting me? You and I both know I'm only in here until the argument between you and Odin is finished and I'm given the death sentence for treason." Thor shook his head.

"No, that won't happen. I won't allow it."

"You can't do anything about it!" Loki scoffed. "Despite what you believe, you're powerless." He turned away from his brother. "And I'd rather be killed than sit in here like a rat in a trap."

"That's it, isn't it? You're embarrassed being in here. You're humiliated of the faces that pass by only to glare at you, to laugh at your imprisonment." Loki said nothing. He went back to being the mute, and refused to look up again. Eventually, Thor just walked away, leaving Loki once more in silence.

The next few days went by without a visit from anyone. Even Sif stopped walking by the cell only to stare in with a glare on her face. Even though he would never admit it, he knew Thor had been right about his humiliation. He was glad no one had bothered walking by. He could pace the floor and sit in silence without being suspected of trying to find a way to escape.

His long, uninterrupted streak of loneliness was broken when a girl—a mere mortal—came to his cell with a tray in her hands. On the tray sat a small loaf of bread and a glass of water. Loki hadn't found himself feeling hungry in a long while, so when the girl pushed the tray through a small opening, he just stared at it. He looked up at her, waiting for her to walk away, but she stood there, arms folded over her chest.

"I'm not leaving until you eat," she said finally.

"Well, then, you're going to be here for a long time," Loki sneered. He expected that would drive her off, but she took a deep breath and sat down on the floor outside the glass.

"I can wait."

The two sat in heavy silence for a long while, her bright green eyes never leaving him, even when he got bored and dropped her gaze. He sighed and stood up from the small bed that he never used except for sitting on and started to pace. He would look over every once in a while to see the girl's eyes still following him. He started to feel less like a rat in a trap and more like a mouse in a lab with her stare.

"I hope you know I don't get hungry often," he finally said. He couldn't be absolutely sure how long she'd sat there staring at him, but it felt like a long time.

"I know," was all she said. He was starting to get pissed off at this girl. Who did she think she was? She was nothing but a mere mortal, coming to give him bread and water that he didn't particularly need. If she was a proper servant, she would have just dropped off the tray and left.

"Chastity," a voice called from down the hall. Loki sighed in frustration when he heard the voice. He had hoped his brother had gotten the message the last time he visited and just stayed away. But then again, it wasn't _him_ Thor was greeting.

"Over here," the girl called. Thor walked up, glancing briefly at Loki before looking back down at the girl.

"Why are you still here?" he asked, offering his hand to help her up from her spot on the floor, but she just ignored it.

"I told him I'm not leaving until he eats, so I'm not leaving until he eats," she replied, finally pulling her gaze from Loki to look up at Thor.

"He's a lot more stubborn than that, you know," Thor sighed.

"Oh, I know. I've been sitting here for over an hour." Thor chuckled.

"Well, maybe your stubbornness will outlast his." He walked away, and the girl's gaze returned to Loki.

"Strange name," Loki commented after a while.

"My mother liked Victorian-era names," Chastity answered, shrugging. "I had a little brother named Ezra, and a baby sister named Grace."

"If I eat something, will you go away?"

"Yes."

He moved over to the glass wall and sat back against it, the tray next to him. Bit by bit, he tore off the bread and ate it. She continued sitting there even after he had eaten a few bites, and he glared at her.

"You can leave now." She shook her head.

"The whole thing."

He scoffed and turned away from the food, not wanting to give in any more to this girl. He really didn't like her. She was stubborn and defiant and obviously would not give in until she got her way. He realized, with a jolt, that the way he described her…was the way everyone else would describe him. He turned to look at the girl—Chastity—again, and found, not surprisingly, her eyes on him. With a scoff, he ate the rest of the bread bit by bit and drank the glass of water. She finally moved and took the tray through the small opening at the bottom of the glass wall, and disappeared down the hallway.

"She's strange," Loki said to himself. He didn't particularly like her, but there was something about her—he couldn't quite pinpoint what—that intrigued him.

XXXXX

It became a routine. She would bring him his usual bread and water, and he would sit there stubbornly while she stared at him until he finally gave in and ate. Neither one said anything anymore.

Two or three weeks into this routine, Loki was sitting on the edge of the bed the way he normally did, staring at the glass wall. He blinked, wondering why he was staring at it in the first place, and then realized he'd caught himself doing that a lot the past few days. He was waiting for the girl to arrive. He was actually looking forward to her being there. Why? What was so special about this girl that he actually thought her significant?

As he was thinking, someone walked up to the cell, but it wasn't Chastity. Instead, he found himself staring into the blue eyes of Sif.

"Oh, it's you," he said off-handedly, turning away from her.

"What are you up to, Loki?" she replied, narrowing her eyes at him. "What have you and that mortal girl been talking about? It must have been something. Thor sends her here with food and she doesn't come back for hours."

"Talk?" Loki scoffed. "She never says a word, and neither do I."

"I don't believe you."

"Of course not." With that one sentence, Sif looked as if she wanted to barge in there and beat him into the floor. He winced when he remembered the beating he'd received from the green monster…what did the mortals call it? The Hulk?

"Is something wrong, Lady Sif?" came a vaguely familiar voice. Loki looked over to see Chastity's familiar green eyes trained on him, as usual. Her gaze flashed over to Sif for a moment before she leaned down and pushed the tray through the opening in the wall. Loki didn't move. His eyes flashed from Chastity to Sif, waiting for the warrior to leave. Instead, she moved back and leaned against the wall across from the cell. Obviously, she was going to stand there until the routine was over for the day.

Chastity ignored Sif and sat down in her usual spot, staring at Loki as usual, as if the woman wasn't even there. Loki moved to sit with his back against the glass wall and sat there stubbornly, as usual.

Just as he had found himself looking forward to Chastity's arrival, he also found he enjoyed her silent company. Though her eyes were always trained on him, she never glared and he never felt any hostility from her, unlike the hostility he felt coming in waves off of Sif.

Obviously the warrior was growing bored of Loki's stubbornness, because she gave up on the silence and turned to Chastity.

"How old are you, girl?" she asked. Loki felt Chastity's gaze leave him, and turned round to watch her.

"Eighteen," she answered.

"Why are you in Asgard, and not on Midgard?"

"My family died in a car accident. Thor found me by myself in an alley and offered to bring me back here."

"Well, that was awfully nice of him," Sif muttered sarcastically, ignoring the glare Loki shot her.

"I suppose so," the girl answered carefully. She turned back to look at Loki and met his gaze. She was surprised that the look in his eyes had grown so soft towards her. He had always seemed so hostile. She wondered what exactly had changed before pushing the thought away. He turned away from her and started tearing into his bread. This meal was a lot quicker than the ones in the past, because Loki just wanted Sif to leave. And obviously the only way to get Sif to leave was to get Chastity to leave.

"Oh, um…Chastity," Loki called after her as she stood and started to walk away. "I don't…usually say this, but…thank you." She blinked in surprise before smiling.

"You're welcome. And just call me Chaz."

XXXXX

Loki was allowed out of the cell after eight months in there with no bad behavior. Thor had noticed a significant change in his brother. He wanted to say that Loki behaved a lot more like his old self, but that wasn't true. He was still cold and hostile when it came to a lot of people—especially Sif—but he didn't lash out as often as he used to.

The change was especially noticeable around Chastity. The red-haired, green-eyed girl had been given orders to bring Loki food every day for seven out of the eight months that the god of mischief was holed up in that cell, and she'd done it without complaint.

When he'd gone in to check on her the first day, he'd been afraid that somehow Loki had gotten to her and harmed her, or possibly killed her. When he saw her sitting on the floor, staring at Loki intently, he was relieved. When she told him about her plans to sit there until Loki ate, he was taken aback. He hadn't expected the girl to be so…stubborn. She was like Loki in so many ways.

"That's ridiculous," Thor heard Loki say one day as the god of thunder walked through the castle. He paused by the open door of the kitchen and peered in to see his brother standing next to Chastity as she made bread.

"It may sound ridiculous, but it's all completely true," the redhead answered.

"I don't believe you," Loki answered.

"Of course not. Can you hand me the bag of flour, please? I left it over there by mistake." Loki waved a hand and moved the bag of flour onto the counter next to the girl with his magic. Chastity replied with a quick, "Thanks."

"Mm-hmm," Loki answered. "But you're telling me that your little brother used to fall for a trick like _that_?"

"It sounds mediocre to you, oh great master of magic," Chastity shot back, voice dripping with sarcasm. "But for a human being like me, without any magic at all, to set it up was very complicated. Not to mention, I was seven and he was four."

"Oh, well that's different," Loki replied. "You had me thinking it was something more recent."

"It was difficult to set up! I had to make sure that my mother was busy and not going to go into my brother's room. I had to set the tripwire where Ezra wouldn't see it—because the kid had an incredibly keen eye—and attach the wire to the bucket above the door just right. Then I had to go and fill the bucket with water without my mom suspecting anything, and go and hang it back above the door. Not to mention, I had to find an excuse for Ezra to go into his room."

"What excuse did you use?"

"I went in there and called out as he was passing the door that I was going to take his toys." She caught Loki's amused stare. "Again, I was seven. But it worked. He didn't see the tripwire, walked in and got soaked. It was pretty funny."

"It's still ridiculous."

"I'd like to see you do better without your magic."

"He can, actually," Thor spoke up from the doorway. The two looked over at him. "He used to set up fairly complicated tricks using only his wit and his hands." He grinned at Loki, but Loki didn't return it. He looked over at Chastity, watching silently as she molded the dough into the bread-dish and put it in the oven. That was another thing Thor had noticed changed in Loki. The god of mischief no longer spoke to his brother. He barely ever looked at him.

"Come on," Chastity said. "That should take a while. I'd like to see some of these non-magical tricks of yours." She shot Thor an apologetic look as they passed him, but Thor said nothing.

He smiled as he watched them walk down the hallway, the two talking and laughing. Who'd have thought someone like Chastity could change someone like Loki?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 of Change. I had originally intended this to be simply a one-shot, but I sensed so much more could happen, so I went ahead and made it a series. Hope you like chapter 2!**

He found her staring out over the city. It was her normal spot when she wasn't around him. He walked up behind her silently, her gaze not breaking from the horizon. He sat on the seat next to her and watched her intently, searching her face. He realized that she'd been crying and reached out to wipe a tear from her cheek. She looked over at him, her bright green eyes that were normally full of life now dull with grief.

"What's wrong?" he asked, brow creasing. She shook her head.

"I was just thinking about my family. I can't imagine life different than it is now, because it really is amazing to be here…but I miss them dearly." Loki's gaze dropped briefly before he looked back up at her.

"I…know what that's like," he whispered. He reached forward to wipe away another tear, and his fingers lingered next to her skin. She reached up and took his hand in hers, squeezing it lightly before letting go. He responded with a smile. When he felt other eyes on him, his gaze turned to see Fandral, Volstagg, Hogun, and Sif standing on the opposite side of the room, staring at him. Hogun and Volstagg quickly looked away, but Sif continued glaring and Fandral seemed intrigued.

"Loki?" Chastity asked, and his gaze returned to her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he answered quickly. She reached out and touched his hand again, which, he hadn't realized until now, was balled into a fist. He dropped Chastity's gaze and loosened his hand. He could feel her eyes still on him, searching his face for some sign of distress. He looked out the window again, not meeting her eyes but knowing she was still watching him.

"Why do you do that?" she asked finally.

"Do what?"

"Lapse into silence like that." He looked back over at her and chuckled.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I suppose I enjoy the silence." He still felt weird answering questions like that, despite their knowing each other so long. He wasn't used to opening up to people the way he opened up to her, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt that if she wasn't there to talk to, he'd lose it again.

"What do you think might have happened to me if you hadn't started visiting?" he found himself asking. "Or even, if you brought me the food and just left it there with me?"

"I don't like thinking of the 'what could have happened' scenarios," Chastity murmured. "I had too many of those racing through my head after my family died." She smiled at him, that warm, kind smile that had drawn him completely the first time he'd seen it. "I like to see it as, 'it's in the past and I can't change it no matter how hard I try.'"

"Yes…I suppose you're right," he agreed.

"Hello, Chastity…Loki," a voice greeted. Loki turned with a glare to look at Fandral and Volstagg.

"Hello, Fandral," Chastity greeted warmly. "Is there something you need?" Loki was surprised at how she could make a normally hostile sentence sound so polite.

"Oh, nothing in particular," Fandral admitted, shrugging. "Just wondering if coming over here to sit would bother you."

_Yes, it would_, Loki thought, but he didn't say anything aloud.

"No, of course not," Chastity answered, green eyes flashing knowingly to the god of mischief. Barely had the two warriors sat down than Loki stood and pulled Chastity to her feet.

"Let's go stir up some trouble," he suggested, smirking.

"Sounds good to me," the redhead replied, grinning.

XXXXX

"From what Thor tells us, he's changed quite a bit in the past few months," Frigga said to her husband. Odin smiled.

"Yes," the Allfather agreed. "With hope, he will continue to change for the better."

"Do you think he's in love with her?"

"I think he cares deeply for her," Odin replied. "I'm not quite sure he loves her just yet."

"You think he will fall in love with her," Frigga said. It wasn't really a question. Odin smiled at his wife and nodded.

"Yes, I think so."

XXXXX

"They played another trick today," Sif sighed, crossing her arms and looking over at Thor. The god of thunder chuckled and shook his head.

"That doesn't surprise me," he said, grinning at the warrior. "You still don't trust him, hmm?"

"Of course not," Sif replied defiantly. "After what he did, there's no way he'll gain my trust so easily."

"Fine, if he switches back to 'evil Loki' mode, you have full 'I told you so' rights," Thor told her, laughing at her scowl. "You're always in such a bad mood lately, Sif."

"Loki's presence puts me on edge," she answered, not meeting Thor's gaze.

"Something tells me it's more than that."

"Oh?"

"As I recall, you had a crush on Loki when we were growing up."

"I did not!" Sif exclaimed, glaring at Thor. Despite her denial, however, a blush painted her cheeks.

"Yes, you did," Thor argued. "You made a point of telling me, remember?"

"Fine, but that was when we were younger. And I grew out of it, anyway." She looked away again. "Even if I hadn't grown out of it…his betrayal changed my thoughts about him completely."

"Admit it, Sif, you're just as surprised at the rest of us at his change of heart," came Fandral's voice. He, Hogun, and Volstagg walked in the room.

"I'm not surprised," Sif said, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't believe he's changed at all. I just think it's another plot of his."

"Really, Sif," Volstagg chastised, "since when are you so calloused towards Loki?" She turned and gave him a look that said, "Really?"

"That was not the wisest question in the worlds, my friend," Fandral laughed, clapping Volstagg on the shoulder. "But the intent was clear." He turned to Sif. "He is right, Sif. Give Loki one more chance."

"I'll give him a second chance when he proves he deserves one," Sif replied before storming from the room.

"I'm sure she'll come around," Thor assured his friends. "Eventually," he added with a sigh.

XXXXX

Loki and Chastity headed quickly away from the house they'd rigged. Loki spotted a narrow alley between two houses and grabbed Chastity's hand, pulling her into the alley and glancing out to make sure nobody had seen them. He ducked back into the alley as someone passed, holding Chastity close to him. She clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing aloud. When whoever-it-was had passed, Loki turned to look at Chastity.

"Have they come out of the house yet?" Chastity asked, trying to peek around Loki. He pulled her back as someone else passed.

"Not yet," he whispered. Only when he looked down at her did he realize just how close they were. He was half a foot taller than her, so of course they weren't face-to-face, but the narrow alley didn't allow them to be more than a couple inches apart from one another. She looked up at him, bright green eyes piercing into his ice blue ones. Something inside him that he didn't quite understand stirred as he looked into the eyes he knew so well.

He leaned down, lips about to meet hers, when a shout sounded out from down the street. He stood up straight and peered around the corner of the alley, Chastity doing the same. He was hyper-aware of her since the realization of their proximity, so when her hand came to rest idly on his chest, it felt like fire. His eyes were on her as she watched with a huge smile on her face as their trick unfolded.

"Okay, I have to know," Chastity said as she ducked back into the alley, her hand dropping from his chest, "where did you come up with the idea for _giant slugs_?"

"Oh, um…I don't know. I saw them on Midgard and thought they were pretty…gross. I thought it would be funny to introduce giant ones here."

"They won't stay, will they?"

"Not for more than a couple hours," he replied, shrugging. She narrowed her eyes, as if assessing him.

"Are you okay, Loki?" she asked.

_No._ "Yes."

"Are you sure?"

_No._ "Yes." She pursed her lips, eyes narrowing a little more as she stared at him.

"Don't lie to me," she finally said. He blinked, wondering how on Asgard she could read his face so well. He looked away from her.

"I can't…I can't explain it to you," he finally said.

"Why?"

_Because I can't even explain it to myself._ "It's complicated." She reached up and turned his face towards her again, her hand resting against the nape of his neck.

"You can tell me anything," she said softly. "You know that." There it was again. That feeling inside of him that he had no idea how to explain to himself. He was becoming more and more aware of her as the time went on. The way her hand felt on his neck, how soft and kind her voice sounded, how she wasn't ashamed to be caught staring at him as she frequently did. He found himself attracted to everything about her. He leaned down slowly, stopping before his lips met hers.

_What am I doing?_ he thought. _She's a friend._ He found he couldn't pull away completely, so he rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He felt her fingers lace through his hair and her nose brushed against his.

While he knew he would have to confront these new-found feelings for Chastity eventually, he was content just staying like this.

**Hope you liked it. Review for me!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews! And technically, Ekaterina, they came close to kissing. Haven't actually kissed yet. I know, disappointing. But it will happen soon, I promise. ;)  
Enjoy chapter 3!**

He hadn't felt the same around her since the other day. There was always that foreign feeling inside his chest whenever she was around. She hadn't brought up his strange behavior in the alley that day, for which he was thankful. If he couldn't explain it to himself, how on Asgard was he ever supposed to explain it to her?

It seemed today was sort of a "wander around" day, because they weren't really doing anything but that. Loki followed behind Chastity quietly, not locked in conversation with her the way he usually was when they wandered. She hadn't commented on that, either. He liked that she so easily accommodated to his mood swings. He knew that anybody else would probably be fed up with him.

"Loki," he heard Thor call as they passed yet another room. Reflexively, Loki looked over to see the god of thunder walking towards them. He reached out and took Chastity's hand, using his magic to teleport them to another room. Chastity seemed disoriented from the magic, and put a hand on Loki's chest to steady herself.

"Don't do that again," she said once she was more oriented.

"All right," Loki agreed, chuckling at her. He didn't know what his brother had wanted, but he didn't really care. He didn't like talking to Thor lately.

"What was that all about, anyway?" Chastity asked, hand sliding from his chest to her side. He couldn't stop a slight shiver that ran down his spine. It took him a moment to recover and register her question.

"I was…avoiding my brother," he mumbled finally.

"Loki," she sighed, "you know you have to face him again eventually."

"Yes, but 'eventually' doesn't mean 'now,'" the trickster retorted, crossing his arms and looking away like a child would.

"Sooner is always better than later," the redhead whispered, reaching forward and touching one of his arms lightly. He looked back down at her, that strange urge to reach down and kiss her overwhelming him again. He fought it as hard as he could, convinced that she would do nothing but deny him.

"Well, you just told me not to teleport again, and Thor is on the other side of the castle. So it will have to be later." Chastity rolled her eyes at him and took his hand, pulling him along down the halls again.

XXXXX

Thor wasn't surprised that Loki had disappeared when he'd tried approaching his younger brother. He chuckled and shook his head. Loki was very different from when the two were growing up. Growing up, Thor and Loki had been practically inseparable, always getting each other and their friends into trouble and having a great time doing so.

After the Avengers incident, Thor had expected Loki to be nothing but nasty and horrible to him. Thanks to Chastity, however, Loki was able to at least tolerate the god of thunder's existence. Volstagg walked up to Thor and clapped his friend on the shoulder.

"He'll come around," the warrior promised. "Chastity is friends with you since you brought her here, and she has a big influence on Loki. She'll get him talking to you in no time."

"Yes, I'm sure she will," Thor replied. He had no doubt that Chastity could revive Loki to his former self, before the god of mischief found out that he was a Jotun. It didn't exactly take a skilled eye to see that Loki was falling in love with Chastity. _And love,_ Thor thought, _can change everything._ He knew that from experience, having fallen in love with Jane Foster.

"Come, my friend," Volstagg encouraged. "Hogun and I are going to the training grounds. We wish you to come along."

"The training grounds?" Thor asked. "Why?"

"Fandral convinced Sif that the best way to let out her frustration is through a swordfight. The training grounds are the safest place for that." Thor laughed aloud and nodded.

"All right," he agreed. "To the training grounds it is."

XXXXX

"Where should we go?" Chastity asked finally. They'd taken the whole day just wandering around the castle.

"What do you mean?" Loki asked.

"I _mean_, where should we go? We've been everywhere around this castle today, doing almost nothing—except when you teleported us from one end to another—and I'm getting bored." Loki stared at her, pondering a moment where there _was_ to go. There was no way he'd be allowed off Asgard, so going to Earth was out of the question. If it hadn't been destroyed, he'd have taken her to the Bifrost….

"I know you haven't seen the Bifrost," he said, "and there's no possible way you can now, but I can take you to the site it used to be."

"Really?" Chastity asked, her face lighting up.

"Sure. The only way to get there is by horse," he told her. "But I think we can spare one for you." He couldn't help but smile at the delight on her face. She was like a child on Christmas morning sometimes.

"I know you said no teleporting, but that's the quickest way to the stables," he said, taking her hand. "Unless you want to walk all the way there."

"I think…teleporting just this once would be okay."

"It's a lot less disorienting if you're closer to me." She nodded and scooted closer to him. He wrapped an arm around her waist tentatively, hyper-aware of her the way he had been in the alley the other day. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on his magic alone. Within the next second, they were at the stables.

He looked down at Chastity, who blinked a few times, before cautiously stepping away from him and testing her balance. She smiled when she realized he was right about it being less disorienting.

"Y'know," she began, "that was actually kind of cool. Since I had the heads-up and all."

"Of course," Loki replied, chuckling. He took her hand and walked into the stables. The pens were _huge_. The horses had enough room in the pens alone to be able to trot around in a small circle. A lot of the younger, smaller horses were doing that. Loki led Chastity up to a pen, where a horse black as midnight greeted them.

"Hey, Freyja," Loki whispered to the horse, reaching out and touching her nose. Her black eyes flitted to him before focusing on Chastity.

"She seems nervous."

"She's not used to new people." He took her hand in his and urged her to hold her hand out to touch the horse's nose. Freyja reached out and touched her nose to Chastity's hand, and the girl smiled euphorically and looked up at Loki. He smiled back down at her. His hand rested over hers on the horse's nose, and she stood close to him. He wanted to freeze this moment forever and just remain in it. But even his magic couldn't do that for him.

"Come on," he said finally. "I'm sure Thor won't mind you borrowing Fjorgyn."

**Hope you enjoyed! Yes, the horses are named after goddesses from Norse mythology. ;P  
Review for me!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, guys. Sorry about the wait. But after this chapter, I'm waiting until I have fifteen reviews to post the next one, so silent readers, speak up!  
Ekaterina, sorry for the disappointment. This chapter might or might not include a first kiss. ;)  
Enjoy chapter 4!**

Once the horses were bridled, saddled, and ready to go, they led them out of the stables and Loki helped Chastity into Fjorgyn's saddle. Fjorgyn was a large mare with white, dappled fur and a snow white mane and tail. She had dark brown eyes with dark, thick lashes lining them. They stood out in contrast to her fur. She was older, which was why Loki suggested Chastity ride her.

"Older horses are used to being ridden. They're gentler on new riders," he explained.

"So why can't we just teleport to the end of the bridge?" Chastity asked as they trotted through the city.

"It's too far," Loki answered. "I tried teleporting to the Bifrost from the castle once and only managed to get halfway there without blacking out." Chastity blinked and replied with a simple, "Oh." They were quiet for a long while, save the _clip-clop_ of the horses' hooves on paved streets.

As they went along, Loki couldn't help but watch her. Her red hair glinted in the afternoon light and her eyes glittered with delight as they travelled. He thought about their proximity earlier when they'd teleported. He'd been closer to her than even in the alley, and while physical contact was required to teleport more than one person, he felt his arm around her waist might have been going a little far.

"Loki?" he heard her ask, and looked over at her inquisitive face. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm just lost in thought, I suppose."

"You tend to be lost in thought a lot lately."

A couple of hours passed before they reached the bridge that used to lead to the Bifrost and now led to the edge of Asgard, overlooking the abyss that surrounded the realm. Chastity stopped Fjorgyn, suggesting they walk the rest of the way. They led the horses by their reins and Chastity stopped walking, staring out over the bridge into the water below.

"Chaz?" he asked, leaving Freyja in the middle of the bridge and walking over to the redhead. She turned to him, the look in her eyes slightly conflicted but determined.

"Yeah, sorry. I was just…thinking."

"Looks like I'm not the only one who gets lost in thought," Loki commented. Chastity kind of chuckled, but didn't respond.

"No," she finally answered after yet another moment of silence.

XXXXX

Sif had soundly beaten Fandral at several rounds of fencing. Thor and Volstagg were laughing every time a round was finished with Fandral pinned under Sif's blade.

"Maybe you should not have challenged another skilled swordsman," Volstagg said as Fandral walked over for some water.

"Swords_woman_," Sif corrected. There was a little more light in her eyes now that some of her frustration was let out in the fighting.

"Fine," Volstagg replied, rolling his eyes. Fandral turned towards Thor and put his hand on the god of thunder's shoulder, leading him away from the others.

"How is Loki?" he asked.

"He and Chastity have been together all day," Thor answered, shrugging. "So it's the normal routine."

"Has he…figured it out yet?"

"No," Thor chuckled. "Not quite yet."

"Do you think she has?"

"I'm not sure. It's possible. She's a hard person to read, so I can't tell. But she's not stupid, so she could possibly already know how he feels about her."

"And what about how she feels about him?"

"If she did not feel the same way, I don't think she'd be around him all the time," Thor answered. "You really are a hopeless romantic, aren't you?" he added.

"I'm curious," Fandral replied, shrugging. Thor laughed and they headed back to where the others were standing.

XXXXX

It was still completely silent as they walked along the bridge. Chastity looked over at Loki. She could tell by the look on his face that he was lost in thought again. She'd been thinking about a few things herself when she'd stopped and stared out over the water. She reached over and took his hand in hers, seeming to startle him for a moment before his hand tightened around hers.

"Look, there's Heimdall," he said after another couple of minutes. The gatekeeper didn't turn as the two approached.

"Hello Heimdall," Chastity greeted.

"Miss Lyons," Heimdall said, smiling slightly. "Loki," he added, nodding in the god of mischief's direction. Loki gave him a half-nod in return.

"It's so amazing," Chastity breathed, peering out over the edge of the bridge. The waterfall flowed into the blackness below, glittering with stars. She turned to Heimdall. "What all can you see?"

"Everything," he answered. "All the realms, all the creatures upon those realms."

"Does it ever get overwhelming?"

"No."

"So you're used to it, then?"

"Yes," Heimdall answered, chuckling. "I am used to it. It is the gift I was given by Odin Allfather as the gatekeeper."

"That's really cool," Chastity said, grinning. She turned to Loki, a huge smile on her face. He couldn't help but smile back at her. She had that effect on him.

"Come on," he said after a while. "We should head back." He took her hand in one of his and Freyja's reins in another. Chastity took hold of Fjorgyn's reins and walked alongside Loki, their hands entwined between them. When they got to the end of the bridge, Loki turned to Chastity, meaning to help her up on the saddle. She stopped him and laughed at his bewildered look.

"Loki, when are you going to stop thinking it over and just kiss me already?" she asked. He blinked in surprise before chuckling and leaning down, pressing his lips to hers gently. As he kissed her, it dawned on him what he'd been feeling. He couldn't believe he'd been so dull as to not realize it before. He was in love with her.

The discovery and overwhelming flood of emotion shocked him so that he pulled out of the kiss. She blinked.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, brows knitting together in confusion and hurt showing in her eyes.

"No," Loki breathed, a smile spreading on his face. "No, there's no problem at all." He leaned in and kissed her again, longer this time. When he pulled back, he said three words he thought he'd never hear passing through his lips.

"I love you," he whispered. She responded with a euphoric smile and another quick kiss.

**They finally kissed, whoo!  
Hope you liked it. Again, I'll post the next chapter when I have fifteen reviews! Shouldn't be hard, it's just five more. So again, silent readers should speak up if they want the next chapter. ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, guys. You gave me five more reviews, and you're being rewarded with another chapter! :)  
Enjoy chapter 5!**

Things weren't _too_ different afterwards. They still spent all their time together, wandering the halls or causing mischief in the city. He thought back to his time in the cell, when she would bring him bread and water and sit staring at him persistently until he ate. He'd thought it was annoying at first, but started realizing that he was enjoying her company. Her gaze was familiar and comforting, and now her kisses foreign but warm and loving.

Loki even began to tolerate being in the same room as his older brother. He still didn't speak to Thor, but he didn't completely ignore him anymore, either. Chastity mostly spoke to Thor. Of course, whenever Loki was in one room, Sif stayed in another. The female warrior still didn't trust Loki.

That did change. Eventually. The Jotuns hadn't been at peace since Loki killed Laufey. There had been chaos in Jotunheim, several fought over power but no one had decided who would be king. The only successor possible by blood had been Loki, and that was out of the question.

It was decided that an army of Frost Giants would find a way to Asgard, even if it took many, many years. Unfortunately for the Asgardians, it only took a matter of months.

For once, Chastity wasn't with Loki. She was on her own, riding on an older horse named Genia through the city when it got dark. She pulled up on Genia's reins, looking around suspiciously. This wasn't one of Loki's tricks; she knew them too well to believe that. She ducked as something flew through the air towards her head. When it shattered behind her, she knew it was ice.

"Go, Genia!" she urged the gray horse. Genia tossed her mane and took off back in the direction of the castle. She had to warn Odin about the attack as quickly as she could. Luckily for her, Genia was fairly old but still one of the fastest horses in the realm. When she got to the castle, she didn't stop and dismount, but kept Genia running through the halls. She reached the throne room and dismounted the horse while she was still trotting.

"The Jotuns are attacking," she informed as she jumped to the floor. Odin turned to Thor and nodded. The god of thunder returned the nod before taking Chastity by the hand and pulling her through the castle to the room Loki was in. Loki glared up as Thor burst in, but then looked at Chastity worriedly as she ran to him.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"The Frost Giants are attacking Asgard," Thor answered. "Keep her as far away from the city as possible." Loki nodded and put his arms around Chastity protectively. As soon as Thor was gone, though, he turned to her.

"You have to stay here, understand?" he whispered. "I have to help them." He started to walk away when she caught his hand and pulled him back.

"Loki—"

"Chaz…please. This is my chance to make things right again." She stared into his eyes for a long time before pulling him down and kissing him.

"Be careful." The words were whispered against his lips, and he nodded before capturing her lips in his again.

XXXXX

It was far from silent in the room she was hiding out in. The noise was unnerving to say the least, and she couldn't stop herself from pacing back and forth across the floor with every _boom_ that sounded. She sighed and grabbed a sword from nearby, deciding she didn't want to just sit there any longer, worrying about the others.

She ran out into the hallway, ducking into dark rooms whenever a Frost Giant passed by. Their faults were not suspecting anybody was nearby. As soon as they passed her, they got her sword in their backs.

Unfortunately, as she was hiding in a dark doorway, a Jotun sensed her presence. He stopped running through the hallway and looked around, red eyes focusing on the doorway she was hiding in. He stalked over there, and before she could raise her sword, he'd knocked it from her hand and had her by the throat.

"A mortal in Asgard?" the Jotun sneered, chuckling. "How quaint." He picked her up by her throat and slammed her hard into the wall. It took everything in her not to black out. She clawed at the Jotun's arm, trying to get him to let her go so she could breathe. Her lungs screamed in pain and dark spots started to cloud her vision. The giant's hand tightened around her neck, and she could feel herself starting to lose consciousness when something else struck her. Icy pain in her abdomen forced her to open her eyes again. She would have screamed if she had the breath. She looked down to see an ice dagger in her stomach, and the Jotun pulled it out, blood dripping from it.

"Chastity!" came a very, very familiar voice. She couldn't see Loki from where she was, but the next moment, the Jotun in front of her had a knife protruding from the side of his head and she was dropped a good four feet to the ground, coughing and gasping for air, hand clutching her stomach in pain. Loki skidded to a stop and dropped to his knees by her side, trying to help her sit up when she screamed from the pain in her abdomen.

"I told you to stay put," he said, meaning it to sound strict, but it came out breathy and Chastity could hear the desperation in his voice. "The healing room is surrounded," he muttered. "And I don't have a healing stone."

Another Jotun came up behind them, and Loki stood, trying with all his might to keep the monster from getting to Chastity. A sword ran through the Jotun from behind, and when he dropped to the ground, Loki was surprised to see Sif. She looked over at Chastity and tossed Loki a healing stone.

"I thought you didn't trust me," he said.

"Looks like you've earned my trust again," she replied, nodding and starting to walk away. As she did, she called over her shoulder, "Don't let her die."

As Chastity lost consciousness, she saw Loki starting to crumble the healing stone onto her wound.

**Ooooh, cliffhanger! Let's get up to twenty-five reviews this time, and then I'll post the next chapter! ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**As you know, I left the last chapter off in a horrible cliffhanger, and I'm here to tell you that yes, Chastity survives, so don't kill me.  
Let's make the deadline 35 reviews this time. I know you can do it. ;)  
Enjoy chapter 6!**

They had cleared out the Jotuns around the healing room. Thor, Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun were pushing the Giants back to their own realm, and Loki was pacing the floor outside the healing room waiting to hear how Chastity was.

He was extremely worried about her, as she had been hurt, but also sort of frustrated because he _did_ tell her to stay put in that room. He stopped pacing and leaned against the wall opposite the door, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration and agitation. He hoped beyond hope that she was all right, that her wounds had fully healed already. The door opened, and he looked up expectantly, but someone else walked out. He stepped forward and caught the door, walking in and finding Chastity.

"She's still unconscious," he whispered to himself. He reached forward and gently brushed strands of hair off of her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open and she reached up to take his hand in hers. He smiled down at her, relief flooding through him when no pain read in her eyes.

"Hey," she breathed. "Loki, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you."

"No, it's fine. I'm just glad you're okay," he replied, pulling up a chair and sitting down. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her temple. "You have no idea how worried I was."

"I'm sorry." She placed her free hand on his cheek and pulled him closer to press her lips against his. They stayed like that for a few moments before Loki pulled back.

"Are you okay to walk?" he asked. She nodded and he helped her up. They walked out into the hall, where Thor met them.

"The Jotuns have been pushed back into their own realm," he informed them. "Father wishes to speak with us."

"Okay," Loki said. "We'll be there in a few minutes." Thor nodded and walked away.

"You have to change," he reminded her, tugging on her ripped and bloodied shirt. She replied with a quiet, "Oh," before Loki pulled her along down the hallway to her room. She ducked in and closed the door while he waited out in the hallway, wondering what Odin wanted.

Chastity came out a few minutes later, changed into a clean outfit. She giggled when she saw Loki hadn't noticed her coming out of the room. He was staring off into the distance, the look in his eyes telling her that he was lost in thought. She snuck up to him and, reaching up on her tiptoes, planted a soft kiss on his neck. He blinked in surprise and looked down at her, smiling softly when she laughed.

She started to walk away, expecting him to follow, but he caught her hand and pulled her back to him, capturing her lips with his. His left hand gently cupped her cheek and his right hand gently rested on her waist. Her fingers entwined in his hair and she pulled him closer, deepening their gentle kiss.

The clearing of someone's throat made them break their kiss, and Loki glared up to see it was Thor again, standing there with his arms crossed and an amused look on his face. Chastity was blushing and kept her face hidden in Loki's chest.

"'Be there in a few minutes,' huh?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at the two before chuckling and jerking his head in the direction of the throne room.

When they reached the throne room, Odin was there, waiting patiently for them. He instructed Loki to close every possible way into Asgard other than using the Tesseract. Afterwards, Thor was to go to Earth and meet up with the Avengers. Loki was to go with him, and Odin agreed to let Chastity go as well. He dismissed them with their orders, and Loki went and sat on one of the many balconies, eyes closed, magic focused on closing the unwanted portals into Asgard. Then they made their way to Earth.

XXXXX

It had been so long since Chastity had been on Earth. It was rather strange being surrounded by human beings again rather than just immortals. The Avengers were very, _very_ wary of Loki when the three first arrived. Thor promised the god of mischief would be on his best behavior, and Loki rolled his eyes before Chastity elbowed him in the ribs.

"Chastity, this is Agent Clint Barton, Agent Natasha Romanoff, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Dr. Bruce Banner," Thor introduced. She smiled and waved at each one of them before pulling Loki over to the window. They sat in chairs that the redhead dragged to the window, neither saying anything.

"It's so strange," she heard Stark mutter. She looked over at him to see he was staring at her and Loki. "Are you absolutely sure that's the same guy that tried to take over the world almost a year ago?"

"Well, in a way, he's not really the same," Thor replied. "He's changed." Chastity's gaze drifted back to Loki. She knew he knew they were talking about him, but his eyes never left the window. He was obviously trying to ignore the team.

"How do you know?" Steve asked, caution lacing his tone.

"If he hadn't changed so much, do you think I would be so aloof around him?" the god of thunder asked. A ripple of murmurs sounded through the other five people in the room. Obviously they still weren't trustful of Loki. Chastity, ignoring the eyes on her, reached over and gently placed her hand over his tightly balled-up fist. He finally broke his gaze from the window and met her eyes, his hand loosening so that he could take hers in it.

She leaned closer to him so that she could whisper in his ear, "Calm down." With that one whisper, his shoulders relaxed and his gaze softened. He pressed his lips briefly to her forehead before whispering a quick apology to her. When he turned back to the window, Chastity glanced over to see five pairs of bewildered eyes trained on her. Of course, the team looked away when she caught them staring, but she knew they believed Loki had changed since they last encountered him.

Nick Fury walked into the room, ignoring the two sitting by the window, and started their meeting.

XXXXX

"How do you think that happened?" Natasha asked Clint once the meeting was finished and the two were in the hall. Loki and Chastity were still inside, sitting and quietly talking to one another. Thor was informed he could visit Jane Foster again, so off he went. Tony had a date with Pepper, Bruce went back home, and they weren't sure where Steve had wandered off to. For the moment, Nat and Clint were completely alone.

"Nat, your guess is as good as mine," Clint replied, shrugging. "All I know is it's a freaking miracle."

"Do you think he loves that girl?"

"It's possible," the archer replied, grinning. "Love can change people very drastically." She smiled back at him, knowing, probably more than anyone, how true that was. She'd once told Loki that love was for children. Little did she know she'd end up falling in love with the man whose life she'd been bargaining for. Love didn't seem so childish then.

"Well, whatever it is, I think I like her," she said, nodding in the direction of the meeting room. "She's got the man wrapped around her finger, whether she realizes it or not. While she does, he poses no threat to us."

"Is everything business to you?" Clint asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. She responded with a grin.

"Not everything," she answered, pulling him close and kissing him.

XXXXX

"It's so strange, Pepper," Tony insisted. "It's like he's not even the same guy anymore."

"This Chastity girl seems to be a rather big influence on him, then," Pepper answered, smiling at her boyfriend.

"'Big influence'?" Stark scoffed. "Please, she's more than that. You should have seen the way he responded when she whispered to him. He was tense and hostile, I could feel it coming off of him in waves. Then she whispers something in his ear, and he's calm as can be."

"Hmm…and you're positive it's really Loki?"

"I think so," Tony replied, giving a one-shoulder shrug. "I mean, Thor said he had changed, but honestly. It was a very _drastic_ change."

"Maybe he's in love with her?" Pepper suggested.

"Love? _Loki_? Please."

"Oh, come on, how do you know?"

"Well, even if he did love her, how do we know she loves him back?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe by giving her the benefit of the doubt?"

"I'll judge whether or not I believe it when I get proof," Tony concluded, setting down Pepper's dinner in front of her. "For now, _bon appetite_."

XXXXX

Chastity was up wandering the room, looking around at basically nothing. She wanted to go somewhere, but Fury had instructed that Loki stay put until Thor came back to collect him, and she certainly wasn't going anywhere without Loki with her.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, plopping back into the seat next to him.

"Mm?" he asked, turning his attention to her. "Oh, nothing really. Just…the last time I was here."

"Oh?" Chastity inquired, quirking an eyebrow. "I heard about that. People kept saying it was hell on Earth." He winced at her words, though her tone was soft.

"I suppose so," he replied, voice hard.

"Hey," she whispered, putting her hand on his cheek. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and sighing. She pulled him closer to her and pressed her lips gently against his. She felt his fingers tangle in her hair and couldn't help but smile into the kiss. When she pulled away a moment later, his eyes opened and the look on his face was that of a confused puppy. She couldn't help but giggle.

"What?" she asked. He shook his head and leaned closer to her, capturing her lips with his again.

Just then, the door to the meeting room opened and Steve walked in. He cleared his throat, chuckling to himself when they pulled out of their kiss and turned to look at him. He looked away awkwardly, having intruded on such a private moment.

"I, uh…sorry, I forgot my jacket," he said sheepishly, moving over to a chair at the table, pulling a brown leather jacket from the back. When he looked back at the two, he saw Chastity walking over to him.

"Do you know if Thor is still in the building?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied, shrugging. "I can ask, though."

"Can we go with you?" He paused, about to say no, when he looked into her eager, green eyes. Had they been just sitting in this room the entire time?

"Sure," he agreed, smiling at her. Loki stepped up next to the girl, taking her hand and glaring at the captain. Steve nodded curtly at the god of mischief before leading the two through the hall and into a separate room, where Fury and his lieutenant, Maria Hill, stood at a table, rifling through different files.

"He's not supposed to be here without—"

"It's fine, Hill," Fury assured her, looking over at Chastity for a brief moment before looking up at Steve. "Captain," he greeted.

"Director," the soldier replied, nodding once.

"I assume you wish to know where Thor went off to?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hill?"

"Dr. Selvig informed us that Jane Foster and Thor decided to take some time out together. He's filling in for her."

"Where's Stark?"

"He said he had a date."

"Banner, then," Fury sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in agitation.

"As far as I know, he's still in the building, but…" She looked up at Loki, who had a grimace on his face. "I'm not sure that's the best idea, sir."

"Barton? Romanoff?"

"I don't think anyone is on the best of terms with…him," Hill said, pausing when she said the last part, but Loki wasn't looking at her.

"What's the problem, sir?" Steve asked. "If the problem is an…escort…I can help." Obviously everyone in the room besides Chastity expected Loki to burst out with something along the lines of, "I don't need an escort!" To their surprise, he stayed silent.

"Fine."

XXXXX

They walked outside the building, Chastity blinking in the sudden sunlight. She turned to Steve.

"So, Cap," she said casually, poking his shoulder. "Where we going?"

**This chapter was especially long because I had more time to write. Come on, you guys. I know you can give me 35 reviews. Silent readers, you really need to speak up here. I look at my stats, I know how many people are reading this. Show me with reviews! Ten more isn't too much to ask. So come on, review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, guys. I feel like it's been too long since I posted a chapter. (And pff, it has been.) Let's try to make it to 40 reviews, kay? ;)  
Enjoy chapter 7!**

Loki wasn't particularly fond of the fact that Chastity and Rogers were getting along so well. The god of mischief had only personally encountered the captain once, and it was a very brief fight. He hadn't liked any of the team or S.H.I.E.L.D. then, and so far he wasn't liking Rogers now.

"At least they refer to you as 'Captain Rogers,'" Chastity said as the trio walked down the newly refurbished streets of New York City. In all honesty, Loki was surprised at the quick clean-up. It hadn't even been a year, and only a few places were still under construction.

"Why's that?" Rogers asked.

"Well, because 'Mr. Rogers' would be kind of awkward," the redhead answered with a giggle. The captain gave her a strange look. "Mr. Rogers was a man who had a TV show on from 1968 to 2001. It was this kid's show that I used to watch when I was little."

"Oh," Rogers replied.

"So what all _do_ you understand when it comes to pop culture?" Chastity asked.

"Well…not much," he replied, seeming sheepish.

"That's okay. It's understandable." They walked in silence for a few minutes, the look on Chastity's face telling Loki that she was deep in thought. Finally, something seemed to click and she turned back to Rogers.

"Pinocchio?" she asked, a hopeful look on her face. Rogers chuckled and nodded.

"I know that one."

"Dumbo?"

"I heard of that one, but I never actually saw it."

"Gone with the Wind?"

"Yeah, I know that one."

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarves?"

"You like Disney, don't you?"

"Yep," Chastity answered with a grin. "Umm…the Wizard of Oz?"

"I like that movie."

"It's a classic."

"I'm not surprised."

"Dracula?"

"I was never interested," Rogers answered, grimacing. Chastity laughed before continuing.

"Heidi?"

"No, but I heard it was good."

"The Most Dangerous Game?"

"No. I didn't like the story, so I figured I wouldn't like the film."

"Romeo and Juliet?"

"Of course."

"I didn't view you as a Shakespeare buff," Chastity said, smiling at him.

"Well…I like Romeo and Juliet."

"Ok. Umm…Treasure Island?"

"Yes."

"Wuthering Heights?"

"No, can't say I saw that one."

"Well, that's all I know off the top of my head," Chastity said after a few more moments of silence. "Looks like you know more than you thought."

"I guess so," Rogers answered, smiling. Loki kept quiet through the whole exchange. He had the strangest feeling of having been forgotten until Chastity laced her fingers through his and squeezed his hand gently. He looked down into her familiar, comforting, green eyes and was instantly calm.

XXXXX

He stayed sitting on the bench in Central Park as Steve and Chastity stood a few feet away, feeding bread crumbs given to them by some people packing up from a picnic to the ducks.

"I…have a question for you," Steve finally spoke up.

"Okay," she replied, tossing some more bread crumbs out, the ducks gathering around her feet in a mad scramble to get to the food.

"What exactly happened to him?"

"I can't say for sure," Chastity answered with a slight chuckle. "I know I fell for him quite a while before he returned the feeling."

"How long did it take? For you to…crack through the shell, I mean."

"Not long," she confessed. "A few weeks after I started visiting him in the cell they kept him in, he thanked me. It might not seem like much, but for Loki it was a big step in the right direction." Another toss of bread crumbs. "Two months after that he started really talking to me. Before that, it had been nothing but dead silence. I don't mind either way. I'm pretty adaptable when it comes to mood swings."

"I'm sure with Loki you'd have to be."

"Oh, definitely," she laughed. She emptied her hand of the crumbs and dusted what stuck to her skin off. "Some days he'll want to talk about anything and everything, and others he'll just want silence." She sighed and watched the ducks finish up the crumbs on the ground and look up at her, quacking noisily, demanding more. "Despite all that, there are things I don't understand about him."

"Like what?"

"Well…when he's silent, he'll start thinking about things. I'm not always sure what he's thinking about. Some times are more obvious than others." She shooed the ducks away with a gentle nudge of her foot. "There are times when he's thinking and he has a complete poker face. I wonder what he thinks about."

"Are you ever afraid that he'll…snap?"

"No. I think the reason he snapped before was just because he felt unwanted, and he needed someone to want him around." She looked up at Steve. "I _do_ want him around. There are very few times when I'm not with him, and I'll be told by whomever it was he was around that day that he seemed miserable. I know he's confused, frightened even."

"Why?"

"I don't know if Thor ever told any of you, but he's not Asgardian."

"He's not?"

"No. His father was Laufey, king of the Frost Giants from Jotunheim." She caught Steve's expression. "It wasn't exactly classified information when I arrived there." She shook her head before continuing. "From what I gather, he doesn't know where he fits in…in any of the worlds. He grew up an Asgardian, a son of Odin. He found out he was really a Jotun, the son of Laufey. I think he feels disconcerted by that."

"As if there's nowhere he could possibly fit," Steve said.

"Yeah."

"So…you feel sorry for him, or…? I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry. I just don't understand."

"It's quite alright. No, I don't feel sorry for him, because I know he wouldn't want me to. Not only that, it wouldn't be the greatest thing if my feelings for him went no further than pity when he has already told me he loves me. He's a very complex person, Steve. It takes time to get past the shell, but once you do, he's a wonderful man."

"I'm sure I'll be able to see him differently someday," Steve agreed, smiling at her as they headed back to where Loki sat.

"Thor still hasn't shown up?" Chastity asked, plopping down on the bench next to the god of mischief and taking his hand.

"Not yet," Loki answered, sighing and rolling his eyes.

"He'll get here soon, I'm sure of it."

**Hope you guys enjoyed!  
Just so you know, school has started, so if I'm late in posting a chapter, I apologize.  
Review for me! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, guys! NaNoWriMo is over (I didn't finish my novel because I got bored with it and the storyline was terrible) and it's the weekend so I'm not flooded with homework. As I promised one of my readers—Ellize Avalon, thank you for the PM, I'm glad you're enjoying the series—I will be posting two chapters, and I will have the next one up shortly. Enjoy!**

Imminent danger. Of course, he should have known that's why they were called there. And this time, it wasn't Loki's fault. Thor had filled them in on the purpose of the meeting when he'd gotten back from visiting Jane Foster.

"Do we know what it is as of now?" Chastity asked as they walked down the street, back toward the building they had come from.

"Unfortunately not," Thor replied, sighing. He caught the wary glance Loki shot the redhead and put a hand reassuringly on his brother's shoulder. The god of mischief hesitated a moment before shaking it off.

"Where are we going now?" Chastity asked, not having missed the exchange but saying nothing about it. She knew that the brothers still weren't on the best of terms, but that Loki was trying to be a little more civil to Thor as per her request.

"Jane passed along the message that Fury wants us to meet him back to the building we were in before," Thor answered. They were silent on their walk back. It wasn't far from where they were and the walk wasn't a long one, but the silence that had settled in on them was an uneasy one, weighing heavily on Loki's shoulders and making the walk seem twice as long as it was.

"Where are we to stay while here on Midgard?" Loki spoke up once they reached the doors of the S.H.I.E.L.D. building.

"I will ask." Steve nodded at the two before heading inside. Chastity started to walk through the doors when Loki took her hand and pulled her back. He pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapping around her like a vice. She knew he'd been extremely wary when finding out that Earth was being threatened by some unknown force. It _was_ a rather frightening thought.

"Loki?" she whispered, pulling back ever-so-slightly to look up at his face. His blue eyes were filled with worry.

"Maybe we should go back to Asgard," he mused, voice low.

"But we just got here, and it's been so long since I've been on Earth—"

"I don't belong here. I don't belong anywhere. I'm not a Midgardian or an Asgardian…I'm not really a Jotun. I'm not one of the Chitauri…I don't have anywhere I can go that would feel like home." She could see he was about to continue, but, before he could, she reached up on her toes and met his lips with hers, silencing him. His arms tightened around her again, and hers wound around his neck. She pulled back a few moments later.

"I don't care about any of that," she whispered. "You're you, and I love you for it."

"I can't tell you how much that means to me," he replied, voice also in a whisper. He pressed his lips to her temple. "I love you." He was never like this around anyone else; vulnerable and open. In front of everyone else, he wore a hardened mask. She was one of the few who could see past it. She imagined Thor could read his brother like an open book. She didn't say anything about it to Loki, of course, seeing as the god of mischief still wasn't warmed up to his brother enough yet.

"Want to go back inside?" she asked. Loki shook his head.

"If I spend any more time in there, under surveillance, I just might go insane." He released his tight hold on her, but kept one arm around her waist.

"Too late for that," a voice said from the doorway. Loki stiffened, obviously recognizing the voice. Chastity, though, turned to look. Agent Clint Barton stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb and sending an icy glare in Loki's direction. He turned his gaze away from the god of mischief to look curiously at the redhead.

"Agent Barton," Loki greeted cautiously, turning to look at the archer. Clint's blue eyes turned back to him. He nodded once in reply, eyes narrowing slightly. Chastity sensed the suspicion and pure _hatred_ that the archer exuded. She was sure that if she wasn't there, and Clint was armed, he'd have no problem killing Loki. She didn't know what had happened, but she honestly didn't care. Loki wasn't the same person that had attacked New York almost a year before. She glared at Clint, hoping he would get the message and back off.

He caught her glare and relaxed his tense shoulders slightly. If a human girl was defending Loki, he knew something was different with the Asgardian. He still didn't necessarily like him or trust him, but he knew that the god of mischief wasn't the same anymore. When he relaxed, the girl seemed to. _The girl,_ he thought, _what did Thor say her name was again?_ He stared at her for a few moments before it came back to him.

"Chastity, right?" he asked. "My name's Clint." He didn't step forward and hold his hand out to shake hers, but he could tell she got the gist of him introducing himself. She nodded at him.

"Yeah, Chastity. Nice to meet you." It didn't really sound like she meant it, but seeing as she was in love with Loki and he, well, hated Loki, it only made sense that he wouldn't be her favorite person. He nodded again, not really sure what else to say to them. His eyes flitted up to the sky when he saw a shadow move along the ground. He figured he'd see a bird or a plane or maybe a wisp of cloud, but instead he saw something just slightly more frightening.

"What the hell is that?" he muttered, moving out of the doorway and away from the shade of the building. It looked like some kind of weird jet, but he couldn't really make out much beyond that. Even with his eyesight, it was difficult to see what the jet-object was. Nevertheless, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Get inside," he ordered, turning and rushing into the building. He stopped and turned again to make sure that they were following him. After a moment's hesitation, Chastity hurried after him, pulling Loki along by the hand. He shut the door behind them and led the way through several halls before stopping at a room.

"Agent Barton," Nick Fury greeted as they walked into the room.

"Sir, there's something in the sky outside."

"A jet?"

"It looks kind of like it, but not…not really." Fury looked up through the files he was rifling through, skepticism in his one eye.

"Agent Barton, are you saying it's some sort of UFO?"

"Not the alien-from-outer-space kind, sir," Clint answered, making a face as if the idea was utterly ridiculous. And yet, technically, one of those aliens-from-outer-space was standing in the room behind him.

Fury opened his mouth to reply, but before he could an explosion sounded below.

**CLIFFHANGER. I will be posting the next chapter sometime today or tomorrow, I promise. But it won't be long before the next update. Review for me!**


	9. Chapter 9

**HI GUYS. HI. I'M ALIVE I SWEAR. SCHOOLWORK AND WRITER'S BLOCK AND DOCTOR WHO AND WALKING DEAD. THAT'S BEEN MY LIFE LATELY. I usually don't wait months to update, and I know I promised a quick update last time, so I really apologize for not getting that up. But yeah. I could come up with many excuses, but instead I'll let you read the next chapter. Enjoy!**

The entire building shook from the force of the impact. Chastity screamed as she was thrown to the floor, but Loki was there, pulling her up and into the protective circle of his arms. Fury cursed, bracing himself against the wall behind him. Before long, the quaking stopped. Fury turned to bark orders at Clint, but the archer was no longer there. He turned instead to Loki and Chastity.

"Get her out of here. We don't need any more civilian lives on our hands," he ordered before striding out of the room. For once, Loki listened to the orders he was given. He teleported himself and Chastity out onto the street, pausing only to see that men wearing strange yellow suits were attacking the building. He turned and started walking at a brisk pace, leading Chastity away from the danger.

Clint knew it probably wasn't the best idea to go up to the roof, but the first thing on his mind was getting up high enough so he could see and shoot. His quiver was now on his back, his bow in his hands. He recognized the men now beginning to make their way inside the building. What the hell was A.I.M. doing invading a S.H.I.E.L.D. building? He decided it didn't matter. _Shoot now, ask questions later_, he told himself, aiming and firing. He watched with a smirk as his trick arrow went off, exploding and sending several A.I.M. workers flying.

Where was Romanoff? That was the only thing on Fury's mind at the moment. Barton was no doubt on the rooftop, taking out as many A.I.M. agents as he could, but he only had so many trick arrows in that quiver. Finally Fury just pulled out his radio, taps be damned.

"Agent Romanoff, do you copy?"

A few seconds of static before, "Yes, sir. What the hell is going on out there?"

"We're under attack by A.I.M."

"Should have known," he heard her mutter. "Is there anything in particular you need me to do, sir?"

"I need you to take them out."

"Yes, sir." Clint's voice joined the conversation then.

"Tasha."

"Hmm?"

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That would be?"

"Don't be reckless."

"Clint, is that your way of telling me to 'be careful'?"

"You could say that."

"Save the banter for later, you two, this is serious business," Fury barked. "Romanoff, get going."

"Yes, sir."

Chastity paced the street. They were quite a ways away from the building now, but she couldn't help be worried. What if someone got hurt? Loki was a few feet away, alternately watching her pace and looking warily at the people around them. Chastity caught his gaze at one point and walked over to him.

"Do you think they recognize me?" he asked. She pulled him to a nearby bench and they sat down.

"I don't think so," she replied softly. "You're not the same man you were then. There's no way you could be recognized." He gave her a gentle smile.

"I'm glad you're here with me." He put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. After a minute she sighed.

"I feel so useless, knowing what's going on there and not doing anything."

"The last place you need to be is there," Loki said, his tone hard. She knew he was remembering her experience with the Jotun. "There's nothing you could do."

"…I took down several Jotuns before that one got me."

"Chastity, we're not discussing this."

"Okay. I'm just saying." He rolled his eyes gently.

"I'm sure they have everything under control."

"Nat, you need to move."

"Little busy right now, Clint!"

"Natasha, if you move, I can shoot him. Just take two steps back."

"If I do that, he'll attack me."

"No, because if you do that, I can shoot him."

"You two are partners, shouldn't you be able to work together?" demanded another voice on the radio. The two recognized Steve's voice.

"You'd think so, but _some people_ just don't listen," Clint snapped.

"Ugh!" He could practically hear the eyeroll in Natasha's exasperated outburst. "Can't you just get a clear shot, Mr. _I-Have-The-Eyesight-Of-A-Freaking-Eagle_?"

"I could if you moved."

"For the love of God, Clint, take the damn shot!"

"Fine."

A few hours later, Thor met the two on the street corner they were sitting on. He told them it was safe to go back to the building and that the problem had been taken care of. They walked back, arriving just in time to hear the end of an argument.

"If you had taken the shot earlier instead of needlessly worrying about me, it wouldn't have happened."

"If you had just taken two steps back like I asked you to, I would have taken the shot earlier."

"You two argue like an old married couple," commented Tony, who'd arrived—surprise, surprise—fashionably late and in the middle of things. He glanced over as Chastity, Loki, and Thor approached.

"Hey, it's Rock of Ages, Point Break, and New Girl." He gave them a wave. Chastity was the only one to return it. Thor didn't seem to have noticed, and Loki was pointedly ignoring the team.

None of them were expecting what happened next.

One of the A.I.M. agents had been shot, but wasn't dead _just_ yet. It would have been Chastity taking the hit if Loki hadn't noticed and stepped in the way at the last second. He collapsed.

**ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER BECAUSE I'M A TOTAL JERKFACE. I hope it won't take so long for me to update this time. Leave a review for me!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, so I promised Ellize Avalon another chapter, and here it is! This is an apology for breaking my promise earlier. I'm really sorry, so here ya go!**

Chastity dropped down next to Loki, panic in her tone as she told him—begged him—to stay with her. Steve gently pushed her out of the way as he and Tony lifted him up and took him back inside the building.

She paced outside the room he was in, never taking her eyes off the door. She idly wondered if this was how he acted when she'd been injured by the Jotun. But now they didn't have healing stones. They were stuck dealing with this the old-fashioned way. And for now, she was going to have to wait.

Steve and Tony walked out, meeting her in the hallway. She looked up at them.

"Is he going to be okay?" she asked, her voice slightly panicked. "He'll be okay, right?"

"They think so," Steve replied gently.

"Hey. That guy took a beating from the Hulk. I think he can stand this hit," Tony said, giving her a slight smile. She looked away, unconvinced. He put his hand on her shoulder. "He'll be okay."

_I hope so,_ she thought. She continued pacing even when Tony walked away. Steve watched her for a few minutes before sitting down on a nearby windowsill.

"You don't have to stay here," she told him.

"It calms your nerves when you're not alone," Steve replied. "I know you're worried, but you shouldn't be. Stark had a point, he took a bad beating from the Hulk and survived. I'm sure he'll be okay."

"I hope you're right," Chastity whispered. "He's come so far from how he was before. He was cold to me at first…but I was stubborn with him. He probably would have starved to death if I hadn't insisted on sitting with him until he ate something." She shook her head. "Even if he didn't starve, he'd probably still be in that cell now if it wasn't for me." She turned to look at Steve. "I know you probably don't care."

"I never said that," Steve replied, shaking his head. "I'm actually fascinated by the fact that he changed so drastically. I'm curious to know how you did it." Chastity gave a breathy, humorless chuckle and sat down next to him. She started telling him how she'd met Loki, and her initial experiences with him.

"After a while, his attitude towards me changed. He wasn't dragging out his meal because he was being defiant, but rather because he wanted to be around me more. I really didn't mind. Most of the time, both of us were completely silent. After a few months, we started telling each other stories of our childhood. I told him about my parents and little brother, and he told me what it was like growing up on Asgard with Thor." She sighed and leaned back against the window. "They used to get along so well, and then there was his freak-out when he found out that he was adopted. He was so mad at Odin for not telling him, for wanting to use him basically as a bargaining chip….

"He told me that somewhere in the back of his mind he was always jealous of Thor. Thor was the older son, and Loki felt like he wasn't as loved by Odin because of birth order. When he found out that he was Jotun…he chalked Odin's supposed 'lack of love' up to the fact that he wasn't actually his son. He was wrong, though. Odin did love him. I imagine he still does. He's just…frustrated with him…disappointed. And he has his reasons for being disappointed, but he doesn't need to hold it against him."

"What do you mean?"

"He sent me and Loki here with Thor because he didn't trust Loki without Thor around."

"But he doesn't even talk to Thor," Steve said. "It's you that's there to calm him down, to keep his head out of the clouds."

"I know that, but I really question if Odin does…." Chastity looked at the door. "We shouldn't have been here. We should have been on Asgard, out of this. He wouldn't have been hurt."

"I told you, he'll be fine," Steve said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He'll pull through."

"How do you know?"

"…" Steve stayed quiet for a minute or two before he finally answered. "He was in a lot of pain before they left. S.H.I.E.L.D. had him in their custody for a couple days after the battle, before he and Thor went back to Asgard. Thor was talking things over with Fury, about the cube. I couldn't just leave him in a massive amount of pain; it was inhumane, despite what he'd done. I fixed him up a bit, found out just how much damage had been done to him. And yet he never complained. Not once. The only reason I knew how much pain he was in was because it was written all over his face. No mask could cover that up."

"Well…thank you. For helping him when no one else would."

"Of course."

**Short chapter is short. I have a good friendship building up between Chastity and Steve here. I feel like they would be good buddies. And no, we don't find out what happens with Loki quite yet. NO, I will not kill him. How horrible would that be? I may put these characters through a lot, but I will definitely not be killing any of them. Ellize, I hope this makes up for my broken promise before. Review for me!**


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